Do they track ALL packages, or only the ones you particularly want tracked?

It would appear that either they, or Verizon, have lost the package we sent back to them. We thought Jin's phone was dead, so they sent us a new one for free. Turns out Jin's phone was fine, so we just turned the unopened sucker back to the Post Office. They said they would right "refused" on it, so it would get sent back at no charge.

After a MONTH Verizon says they haven't gotten it and is trying to shut off our service for an unpaid pill of $700.

So now we are in a scramble to figure out who lost the package - USPS or Verizon. I'm assuming if USPS says it was delivered, Verizon will drop the charges. Hoping, actually.

But USPS never gave us a tracking number, or even a receipt. Does anyone know off the top of their head if they can look it up? They aren't answering their phone, and I'm waiting for Jin to get home from the field before we go shake them down.

I don't use USPS (being in Canada and all), but I'm thinking if you don't have a tracking number, likely not.

ETA: Though, if they labelled it as "refused" and didn't charge you, they should have that in their computer, and that should be enough for Verison, because techincally then you never got it, as far as records go. Though, again, that's just how it works in Canada, not USPS.

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Verizon should have sent you an e-mail of some kind with a tracking number on it when they sent you the package. I don't know if USPS would use that tracking number again if they sent it back as "refused" though. To Verizon, that number will read "delivered" unless USPS did anything when you took it back to the post office. I know when I had an issue with a FedEx package, they sent it back as "refused" and rescanned it, but I'm not sure if USPS would do the same...

There should have been a return shipping label inside that package that had tracking included. It wouldn't have cost you anything to ship it back that way either and then you would have that tracking number. I hope they can figure something out and you don't get stuck with the bill. When Verizon had to replace my phone they were really clear that I needed to use the return label and send it back very quickly or I would be charged a lot of money...

My dad is a mail man and he says Verizon should have the original tracking number since there wouldn't have been a new one given since they put "refused". But the package should have been scanned at that point as "refused" or "undeliverable" which would be on the tracking information (thus, should have a tracking number)

It did come with a tracking number, absolutely. They had us read it off the package when we called to say we didn't need it anymore. Verizon said if we never opened the package, then we could just drop it off at the Post Office and they would send it back for us. Which we did, but somewhere in-between Verizon hasn't received it.

So, technically speaking, the best case scenarios are:

A) It has the same tracking number Verizon sent it with to begin with.
B) It's marked undeliverable/refused and in which case should still have a tracking number.

I ordered a free set of USPS priority mail shipping boxes and envelopes. When I received them, they were all sealed together in a clear wrapping. As I opened them to get a box out, I found someone's package in the midst. It was a padded envelope with an ebay-printed postage on it. I promptly got into White Pages and did a search for the sender. I found the info, called the person, and explained what happened. He was ecstatic, especially since this package obviously held something somewhat valuable and was mailed 2 MONTHS PRIOR to me finding it in with my unused boxes/envelopes.